Ravenous Bunny Cupcakes - chocolate buttercream

Method

• Note: the cupcakes will be the platform in which to place the bunny and carrots.
• Fondant prep and roll:
• To make marshmallow fondant, place marshmallows and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 1 minute on high; stir until marshmallows are melted and blended.
• Place confectioners' sugar on top of the melted marshmallow mixture in the bowl. Fold sugar into marshmallow mixture with a shortening-greased wooden spoon. Place shortening nearby your workspace so you can reach into it with fingers.
• Grease hands and counter generously. Dust counter with extra powdered sugar.
• Turn marshmallow mixture onto counter; it will be sticky. Knead like you would dough, until fondant pulls into a firm, smooth ball, that can stretch with no tearing. Add enough confectioners' sugar in between to avoid sticking. If the marshmallow fondant is tearing easily, add 1/2 teaspoon of water at a time.
• Always cover fondant with plastic wrap. Any unused fondant can be stored in double plastic wrap so it does not dry and crack.
• I made 2 batches of fondant for this project: one left uncolored and the others divided and colored orange, pink and green.
• Have your figures assembled and ready before you frost the cupcakes (if you're making your own frosting).
• To make the ravenous bunny and his tempting carrots:
• Divide fondant according to need. You will need to make lots of carrots, so have a sizable amount colored orange. Divide more for pink and then green.
• You will need all the white fondant for 12 big balls for bodies, slightly smaller balls for 12 tails, and 24 even smaller pieces to shape into feet. You also need 24 peg-sized pieces for legs to attach feet onto.
• For the feet markings, use pink fondant. I rolled out a thin tiny log of pink fondant and cut off very small pieces for the top paw marks. If you have the # 6 round Wilton tip, use the smaller end to make cut out rounds. For the larger print, the smaller end of the #12 Wilton tip can be used. To decorate 12 cupcakes, you will need 72 of those tiny rounds and cut out 24 large rounds for the feet markings.
• With the orange fondant, mold several carrots, indenting on sides. Poke a hole with a toothpick in the top center of the carrot and there insert a very small roll of green, which you later and very carefully cut apart and shape into leaves.
• As glue, I used water and applied it with a toothpick. You could use a fine brush, solely used for food, too.
• For the assembly:
• After flattening and shaping feet, place pink discs as markings, 1 big marking near one end and 3 smaller ones above it.
• Form rounded bodies with roughly tablespoonful of fondant and place a pea-sized round tail (slightly fluffed and pulled) out on top. Assemble feet onto the 2 pegs as legs towards the lower part of bunny bottom.
• Place bunny on top of frosted cupcake, use carrots (some with green stems and some without) to fill up sides.
• Wilton cupcake wrappers in the picket fence design were used to wrap cupcakes.
• (Recipe inspiration and instructions from a delightful blog called Hungry Happenings.)